Where to go, what to do?

With many countries slowly awaking from lockdown hibernation, tourists will be set on heading out to their favourite holiday destinations as the festive season fast approaches. Of course, there is still a sense of apprehension hanging over us all as we persevere in the efforts to keep ourselves and fellow South Africans safe, and for many of us, this cautious approach to life is exactly why an overseas holiday is on the cards.

If you find yourself in a bit of a destination dilemma, this little piece of info could prove to be rather beneficial. Why do you ask? Well, because there are countries which you can travel to and enjoy, safely, of course!

Here are the countries that you can visit as per Head Out Blog who constantly update everything you need to know about the countries which are safe to travel to.

Perhaps you have some reservations about flying? That is totally understandable as being in close proximity with others is what we’ve been warned to stay away from, and an aeroplane is not very conducive for that. Well, there are a few pointers you should take note of:

• It may be a good idea to travel domestically first, before heading abroad. This is just to ensure that you are comfortable with the notion of flying again, as well as being in close proximity to others. It’s a good practice run to ensure you’re ready to wear a mask for a long period of time, and the importance of hand sanitisers and getting familiar with airline protocols.

It is so important to keep yourself in the loop of protocols put in place at popular tourist sites and other destinations, too.

• Did you know that more than 45% of tourist attractions around the world have switched the purchasing of tickets from waiting in queues to an online system, in order to enforce social distancing and adhere to capacity regulations?

For those of us travelling out of South Africa to other destinations around the world, you need to know a few important things before you jet set around the world.

• You may have to take a COVID-19 PCR test before you depart, as well as provide certain documents outlining the requirements of your destination.
• All passengers must comply with the COVID-19 rules and requirements of the chosen destination. You will have to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test from an accredited laboratory.
• Whether you are travelling internationally or domestically, you must present a completed Travel Health Questionnaire.
• Certain countries may insist on quarantine or self-isolation periods. Be sure to gather all the necessary information about your destination before making reservations.

Important before, during and after travel tips:

• You should not travel if you are feeling unwell before your trip. Even if your symptoms are different and not entirely related to COVID-19, you will increase the chance of being denied the opportunity to board the aircraft or being quarantined if your illness is discovered during your flight, at entrances and exits, as well as various screening points.
• Due to various health and safety protocols such as physical distancing, mask wearing and additional hygiene measures you must be prepared for delays and waiting. For example, if a certain number of people are allowed on a bus or train, expect delays. Be prepared to re-route at times, queue while adhering to physical distancing measures and so forth. Preparation is key!
• Once your travels are done and dusted and you’ve landed on home soil, you must head straight home. Do also try to limit using public transport, especially if you’re feeling under the weather. Monitor how you feel after arriving home – remember, travelling comes with quite a significant amount of fatigue, jetlag and so forth. Therefore it is important to constantly check up on yourself and if you do feel unusual, don’t hesitate to contact a health professional. Early detection means early diagnosis and early diagnosis means more time to heal.
• You should regularly check in on trusted sources for any updates and changes to your destinations protocols, as well as those of South Africa. (So many things can change in the course of a week that new regulations, such as self-isolating or the amendments to the list of risk countries can be changed.)

While this is a time to be cautious and vigilant in your actions, remember you are still going on holiday and for most of us, a long awaited one. Try not to become apprehensive about your travels. Remember, stress on the immune system produces a hormone called Cortisol and too many of these spurts can lead to inflammation in the body. In turn this leads to you feeling under the weather, which is not how you want to feel when heading out on holiday! So rather than self- inducing adversity, remain calm and organised as you prepare to seize the day!